4000 Essential English Words 3 » Unit 3: The Boy and his Sled

Word List
  • alley [ˈælɪ] n.
    An alley is a narrow road behind houses or buildings.
    → The alley behind my house looks dirty.
  • ax [ӕks] n.
    An ax is a tool used to cut wood.
    → She used an ax to cut some wood for the fire.
  • bunch [bʌntʃ] n.
    A bunch is a group of the same things.
    → She was hungry, so she ate the entire bunch of grapes.
  • chore [tʃɔːr] n.
    A chore is a job that you have to do but don’t like.
    → It’s Nikki’s chore to do the dishes every Tuesday and Wednesday night.
  • decent [ˈdiːsənt] adj.
    When something is decent, it is OK or good enough.
    → Eric did a decent job painting the fence.
  • disgrace [dɪsˈgreɪs] n.
    Disgrace is a feeling of shame.
    → He felt a sense of disgrace after failing his big exam.
  • elbow [ˈelbou] n.
    The elbow is the middle part of a person’s arm that lets you bend it.
    → She pointed to her elbow to show me where she hurt herself.
  • grateful [ˈgreɪtfəl] adj.
    When you are grateful for something, you are happy that it happened.
    → The girls were grateful to have a chance to spend time with their grandfather.
  • irritate [ˈɪrəteɪt] v.
    To irritate means to annoy someone.
    → She was irritated when her brother told her that he had lost her camera.
  • kid [kid] v.
    To kid is to make a joke to make someone believe something which is not true.
    → I am not really mad. I was kidding when I said I was angry.
  • loose [luːs] adj.
    When something is loose, it is not held in place well.
    → The bolt was loose, so I tightened it with the wrench.
  • offend [əˈfend] v.
    To offend someone means to make them angry or upset.
    → They were both offended by what they had said to each other.
  • overnight [ouvərnait] adv.
    When something happens overnight, it happens during the night.
    → The campers stayed in the tent overnight.
  • persist [pə:rsɪst] v.
    To persist means to keep doing something even when it is hard.
    → Even though the lesson was difficult, he persisted until he understood.
  • pine [paɪn] n.
    A pine is a type of tree that is tall and thin.
    → There were many beautiful pine trees in the forest.
  • scar [skɑːr] n.
    A scar is a mark on the skin after a wound heals.
    → The monster had horrible scars on his cheek and forehead.
  • sensation [senˈseɪʃən] n.
    A sensation is a feeling a person gets from their senses.
    → Mom got a painful sensation in her head from the loud noise.
  • sled [sled] n.
    A sled is a small vehicle that you use on snow.
    → Marvin likes to ride his sled down the hill in winter.
  • tease [tiːz] v.
    To tease someone means to laugh at or make fun of them.
    → Jake teased Charlie because he was the new student.
  • valentine [ˈvæləntaɪn] n.
    A valentine is someone you love or admire with great affection.
    → Harry wanted Molly to be his valentine.
Exercise 1

Part A: Choose the right word for the given definition.

  1. not strongly put in place
    • a. kid
    • b. loose
    • c. disgrace
    • d. sensation
  2. thankful
    • a. decent
    • b. irritate
    • c. grateful
    • d. offend
  3. a job or task
    • a. sled
    • b. chore
    • c. alley
    • d. ax
  4. someone you love or admire
    • a. valentine
    • b. pine
    • c. bunch
    • d. elbow
  5. to make angry
    • a. offend
    • b. scar
    • c. persist
    • d. overnight

Part B: Choose the right definition for the given word.

  1. bunch
    • a. a group of things
    • b. a tool
    • c. a narrow road
    • d. wood from a tree
  2. elbow
    • a. a picture
    • b. a mark on the skin
    • c. a part of the arm
    • d. a vehicle for snow
  3. irritate
    • a. to keep trying
    • b. to annoy
    • c. not being serious
    • d. full of thanks
  4. disgrace
    • a. shame
    • b. to make angry
    • c. during the night
    • d. not strongly attached
  5. decent
    • a. to make fun
    • b. a feeling from the senses
    • c. a job or task
    • d. good or correct
  6. overnight
    • a. happening during the night
    • b. to make fun of someone
    • c. not held in place
    • d. a feeling one gets from their senses
  7. ax
    • a. a tall tree
    • b. a tool used for cutting
    • c. a part of the arm
    • d. a feeling of shame
  8. tease
    • a. a group of things
    • b. to make a joke
    • c. when something is enough
    • d. to make fun of someone
  9. pine
    • a. a job one has to do
    • b. a tall tree
    • c. a mark left on the skin
    • d. a vehicle used in the snow
  10. sensation
    • a. someone one loves or admires
    • b. to make someone angry or mad
    • c. a feeling
    • d. a scar
Exercise 2

Choose the word that is the better fit for each blank.

  1. ax / pine
    • The man bought a big _______________. He needed it to cut down a(n) _______________ tree in his yard.
  2. offend / tease
    • The bully likes to _______________ the smaller children. He does not know that his actions _______________ them.
  3. overnight / loose
    • The door to the shed is _______________. It will be windy tomorrow, so I must work _______________ to fix it so it does not blow away.
  4. chore / grateful
    • The _______________ of cutting the grass was difficult. However, the boy was _______________ when he was paid for his hard work.
  5. alley / sled
    • After the snow storm, the _______________ was covered with snow and ice. It was fun to ride our _______________ down the path.
  6. elbow / scar
    • She hurt her _______________ and had to go to the doctor. There is a large _______________ where the cut healed.
  7. persist / bunch
    • She must put all of the leaves into a _______________ . It will not be easy, but she must _______________ to get the job done.
  8. kids / irritate
    • The boy always _______________ his friend about things that aren’t true. But he will _______________ his friend if he continues this action.
  9. valentine / decent
    • He thought that until he got a _______________ haircut, Elena would never be his _______________.
  10. sensation / disgrace
    • The runner felt _______________ when he lost the race. He had a terrible _______________ in his stomach.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
Part A
  1. b
  2. c
  3. b
  4. a
  5. a
Part B
  1. a
  2. c
  3. b
  4. a
  5. d
  6. a
  7. b
  8. d
  9. b
  10. c
Exercise 2
  1. ax/pine
  2. tease/offend
  3. loose/overnight
  4. chore/grateful
  5. alley/sled
  6. elbow/scar
  7. bunch/persist
  8. kids/irritate
  9. decent/valentine
  10. disgrace/sensation
Answer Key
The Boy and his Sled

Mike was the smallest child in school. Another boy, Joe, always teased Mike. Joe had a large scar on his face from fighting other children. One day, Joe offended Mike when he made fun of Mike’s valentine, Jane. Mike felt disgrace, but he didn’t know how to make Joe stop.

That day, Mike walked home down an alley. He found a bunch of wood boards next to a pine tree. He thought to himself, “ I could build a decent sled from this. If I let Joe use it, he will be nicer to me and Jane.” He took the wood home.

Mike got an ax and cut the wood. He used nails to make sure that the pieces were not loose. As he worked, he bumped his elbow on the boards. The painful sensation made him want to cry. It was a hard chore, but he persisted. He worked overnight. By morning, the sled was finished.

Mike called Joe on the telephone. He said, “ Hi Joe. Come over to my house right away.”

Joe didn’t know why Mike wanted him to come over. When Joe arrived, Mike told him, “Joe, it irritated me the other day when you said mean things about my card to Jane. You weren’t kidding when you said those mean things. But I’m not like you. I just built this sled, and I’ll let you ride it with me if you are nice.”

They became friends, and Joe was grateful that Mike was so nice to him. He learned that it is more fun to be nice than to be mean.

Reading Comprehension

Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.

  1. _____ Joe offended Mike by saying mean things about his valentine, Jane.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ Mike found a bunch of pine trees.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ Joe was a decent person at the beginning of the reading.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ Mike persisted even though the chore was very hard.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ Mike used his elbows to put together loose pieces.
    • _____________________________________________________
  6. _____ Mike told Joe he was sharing his new sled because he was a civil person.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. Which item did Mike NOT use when building the sled?
    • a. Ax
    • b. Nail
    • c. Alley
    • d. Valentine
  2. At the end of the reading, Joe ______.
    • a. was grateful that Mike was nice
    • b. did not get to ride on the sled
    • c. irritated Mike again
    • d. said he was kidding
  3. Why did Mike feel a painful sensation?
    • a. Joe teased him with the hammer
    • b. He dragged the wood home.
    • c. He got a scar on his face.
    • d. He bumped his elbow on the boards.
  4. According to the reading, when did Mike build the sled?
    • a. The next morning
    • b. Overnight
    • c. Before school
    • d. Throughout the day
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. T
  2. F / Mike found a bunch of wood boards.
  3. F / Joe was not a decent person at the beginning of the story.
  4. T
  5. F / Mike used to put together the loose pieces.
  6. T
Part B
  1. c
  2. a
  3. d
  4. b
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